William Sangster is regarded by many as one of the greatest preachers who ever lived. In the 1940s, his church in London was filled every Sunday morning and evening with over 3000 people per service. That would be a very large church today. Back then, it was nearly unprecedented.

In 1949, Sangster was elected president of the Methodist Conference of Great Britain. During his tenure there, he had a twofold mission: evangelism and spiritual deepening. Sangster drove those two ideas relentlessly.

Toward the end of his life, he was diagnosed with progressive muscular atrophy, an incurable neurological disease. His daughter wrote, “Gradually his legs became useless and his voice – that melodious organ that had thrilled thousands – went completely. Speechless and helpless, he could still hold a pen.”

And hold a pen – and use it well – he did. One Easter Sunday, as he sat looking out the window, he suddenly began to write on his ever-present note-pad, “It is terrible to wake up on Easter morning and have no voice with which to shout, ‘He is risen!’ but it would be still more terrible to have a voice and not to want to shout.”

May you and I boldly declare the praises of our risen Savior this Easter season.